The Electric Church by Jeff Somers

I came across this book a few years ago, I was drawn to it be the cover which depicts a cybernetic Monk holding a big ass pistol. The new edition is something different though, which is a shame, it was a badass cover.

The Electric Church mixes the noir detective genre with science fiction and it is amazing, except the lead character is not a detective, he’s pretty much a criminal. It’s the first in a series, pitting Avery Cates up against these cyborg monks who are going around “converting” people to the Electric Church.

The idea that people will give up anything, including their free will for a chance at eternal life (or after life) is pretty obvious. And the plot is sort of generic BUT that’s okay because it’s the details and the noir vibe that make this book a good read. It’s definitely one of my favorites.